Welcome to Vintage and Pocket Watches

[RayMac]

Hello and welcome to the IWL Vintage and Pocket Watch Forum. That's a big name so feel free to call it Vintage.
My name is Ray and I'll be your host here.
I've been interested in pocket watches for over 60 years and I also collect wind-up American brands from the 1930s. 1940s and 1950s. I have many years of experience in identification of most types of Vintage stuff, and if you have photos of your watch available I'll do my best to work with you to figure out what you have.
Sadly what I cannot do is give you a price valuation, for the reasons outlined in the sticky at the top of the forum. It's not that I don't want to help; I am simply unable to do it with any accuracy.
If you want to come in and give us the benefit of your expertise, I'd be delighted. That way we all learn something.

[MHe225]

I have just read through all the threads in this forum and am (even more) hesitant now showing my one and only pocket-watch.

Why? - the watch is

1. not vintage
2. not upper class
3. not middle class
4. lower middle class at best
5. probably not interesting from a horological point of view
6. probably not worthy of its own thread
7. very, very dear to my heart

1981 Roamer pocket-watch (no movement shots or info)

[Еmre]

Roamer,Meyer Stuedeli was a manufacturer back in the good days. I won't downgrade the brand as you say. Watches are watches and is our passion

Why do you think your watch is from 1981? Because of the engraving on back? No seconds hand,could be ETA 2801 which is relatively a new movement and would match your year ID,but to narrow down the search movement photos are a must.

[RayMac]

Watches which are family heirlooms are always interesting. I never got any watches from my father. I have collected a few he might have liked though.
I'm fortunate to have some from my grandfather. They are old, but so am I.
The only really high quality pocket watch I had now belongs to my son-in-law and I hope my grandson will have it someday.

[MHe225]

Why do you think your watch is from 1981?

When I made the post, I was actually debating whether I should put '81 or '80 for its age - the watch was a gift from my parents and they've bought it at a jeweler in Aachen, Germany in December of 1980.
I don't know how much they've spent, but it must have been in the range of $200 or less (after all conversions).More expensive pieces (gifts in general) were simply not in the budget; my dad was a coal-miner and my mom stayed at home, raising 4 boys.

The engravings commemorate my academic achievements, B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D (all in physics) - I think you can imagine how proud my parents were / are ......

[Еmre]

When I made the post, I was actually debating whether I should put '81 or '80 for its age - the watch was a gift from my parents and they've bought it at a jeweler in Aachen, Germany in December of 1980.
I don't know how much they've spent, but it must have been in the range of $200 or less (after all conversions).More expensive pieces (gifts in general) were simply not in the budget; my dad was a coal-miner and my mom stayed at home, raising 4 boys.

The engravings commemorate my academic achievements, B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D (all in physics) - I think you can imagine how proud my parents were / are ......

The watch might have been manufactured earlier than the sales date,but we might never know.Well Physics with all possible degrees you got,is something to be proud of,congrats.I think the most physics involved in the watch world is the tourbillon.Any interest on that part?Not that I could afford one but curiosity

[MHe225]

Physics with all possible degrees you got,is something to be proud of,congrats.
I think the most physics involved in the watch world is the tourbillon. Any interest on that part? Not that I could afford one but curiosity

Thanks - getting these degrees was a bonus; I just didn't want to grow up and get a real job, so I decided to study some more, play in labs, perform cool experiments, etc. It was a great time and I have very fond memories.

Tourbillons - I also thought that I would never own one. Until we were able to build the 2012 WUS CMW Tourby Project watch. We did suffer from price creep, but still, it is a reasonably priced, quality time-piece



Apologies for going off topic - lets get back to vintage & pocket watches.

[WWII70]

The engravings commemorate my academic achievements, B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D (all in physics) - I think you can imagine how proud my parents were / are ......

Can't you carbon date it then?

[watchdaddy1]

ha